Crossing closure

Prior to the start of the 2018-19 school year, Chelsea Mayor Tony Picklesimer aims to make changes to a popular cut-through on Shelby County 377.

The railroad crossing on Shelby 377 near Shelby County 11, also known as Mountain Crest Road, is set to be closed over the summer. There are no lights or arms to block traffic as a train approaches, and no stop sign either. As drivers approach the crossing, nestled between two curves in the road, they will see only a sign indicating there is a railroad crossing as well as a yield sign.

Because of these factors, the area poses a safety issue, Picklesimer said, and that along with traffic concerns are the reasons for the closure.

“The safety of the crossing, obviously, is our primary concern, with it not being lit and not having arms. And it’s kind of down [a hill], and it’s dark. There’s not even any street lights there,” Picklesimer said. 

Back in 2006, the railroad crossing was the location of a collision between a train and an SUV carrying six Chelsea teenagers. Hannah Yeager, a 15-year-old, was thrown from the vehicle and pronounced dead on scene, according to County Engineer Randy Cole. 

Even though it was 12 years ago, a memorial still sits at the railroad crossing, and Yeager’s death continues to resonate with the Chelsea and Shelby County communities.

“It definitely affected the school and affected the community, and it’s something we still talk about at the school on a regular basis,” said Chelsea High School Principal Wayne Trucks.

The crossing itself, however, is not the only safety issue in the area.

“Equally as important — cars coming from Chelsea High School and coming from the Pelham direction on [Shelby County] 11 stop on in the middle of [Shelby County] 11 to turn left there, and in the morning and the afternoons, when there’s school traffic and it’s real heavy, it can back up traffic,” said Picklesimer.

The backup, Picklesimer added, causes a bottleneck and increases the chance for wrecks.

“About 75 percent of our kids use Old 280 in order to either get to school or get home, so where that turn lane is located, we’ve got kids going over a hill in either direction, and if traffic is stopped because people are trying to take that shortcut, that’s when accidents occur,” Trucks said.

Once the crossing is closed, it will significantly reduce the number of vehicles making a left turn off of Shelby County 11, Picklesimer said, as there are only a few homes on Mountain Crest Road before the railroad. 

The city of Chelsea has received funding for the project from the Alabama Department of Transportation and CSX Transportation, the company that manages the railroad tracks, to complete, Picklesimer said. 

“Railroad crossings, they’re a priority statewide, especially ones that are dangerous and have had accidents and fatalities,” he said.

They also have verbal support from the school system and the county. The project is something Chelsea High School has pursued for several years, Trucks said.

“That [closing the crossing] is a giant safety improvement. … I want to publicly commend the mayor and the council for taking that step that is going to significantly improve the safety out there,” Cole said.

A public meeting was held in early June to allow residents to provide feedback on the project. Only one resident, whose property is split by the tracks, came to the meeting to express concerns about having to drive around the long way to get between the two parts of his property. 

“I said, ‘Look, ALDOT wants it closed, the railroad wants it closed, Shelby County wants it closed and Chelsea wants it closed,’” Picklesimer said, adding that even with one person voicing concerns on the project, the city plans to continue to pursue the closure.

The closure will include capping off the road with either a cul-de-sac or “hammerhead” turn, Picklesimer said, in order to allow drivers to turn around.

“I’m not going to just put up concrete barricades. That would look awful. We’re going to spend the extra money to finish the roundabout,” Picklesimer said. 

This project was not included in the city’s fiscal year 2018 budget, so it will first come before Chelsea City Council for approval. While the goal is to “fast track” the project, as of press time, there was no set timeline for when the project would come before the council or when work would begin.